SPANISH GP – Last gasp Lando Norris beats Max Verstappen to pole by two hundredths
Lando Norris has beaten Max Verstappen by two-hundredths of a second to take pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix, the McLaren driver got a perfect lap in one of the closest qualifying sessions of the session. Norris lit up the times in the closing moments of Q3 to take his second pole in five races.
Following his first run in Q3 Verstappen looked to have found comfort which he hasn’t had all weekend he looked out of reach. But then Norris strung a lap together to go two hundredths faster and take his second pole in his career, while Verstappen has not looked comfortable all weekend in his Red Bull.
Verstappen looked to have pole sealed he improved on his last attempt, with neither Ferrari or Mercedes closing the gap as they slotted in behind, then Norris pulled two hundredths out to go fastest.
McLaren given something to smile about after a small fire in their motorhome earlier in the day, but no injuries have been reported though a few were taken to the medical centre for checks.
Lewis Hamilton put his Mercedes third but his challenge for pole failed to materialise, with the seven-time champion nearly three-tenths behind Verstappen as he went two-thousandths of a second faster than his teammate George Russell, for only the second time this season. While Charles Leclerc was fifth beating teammate Carlos Sainz by five thousandths of a second.
Their performance underlined Mercedes’ re-emergence as contenders close to the front after a series of car developments as they beat the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to fifth and sixth place, despite an upgrade on the Italian cars. It was the first time in three months that Hamilton, despite doubting he would be able to out-qualify Russell again.
Norris, for whom this was a second career pole and his first for three years, said: “It was pretty much a perfect lap. You know when you’re on a good lap and you’re getting excited. Close still but super happy. I would say my best pole position. I’ve not had many but I’d say the best.”
Verstappen said: “The whole weekend we have been trying to find a connected balance, I was quite happy in qualifying. In Q3 I got a nice little tow from Checo (Perez) in Turn One to extract everything we could but unfortunately, it was just not enough. But all in all we can be very happy with this.”
In reality all of the top six appeared to have a chance at pole with under four-hundredths of a second between them. This could lift the fears of many that the return to more traditional high speed circuits could see a return to dominance for Red Bull, but further evidence that this season isn’t going to be as easy for them is growing.
Alpine who have had a difficult start to the season and have been at the centre of off track controversy following the appointment of former team principal Flavio Briatore as executive adviser, saw Pierre Gasly go seventh just under a tenth and a quarter behind Sainz. but they were not able to challenge for the pole. Gasly going two-tenths faster than Sergio Perez.
Perez was one driver missing from the fight from pole but even if he had he has a three-place grid penalty for causing a collision in Montreal. Perhaps he was the sacrificed lamb to try and help Verstappen fight for pole. But the Mexican spilt the Alpine’s as he went nearly a tenth ahead of Esteban Ocon. Another driver unable to join the fight for pole was Oscar Piastri who aborted his lap after understeering and clipping the gravel at La Casa.
Fernando Alonso missed out on Q3 by just under two hundredths despite improving on his last lap, he only moved up from fourteenth to eleventh. He starts ahead of Valtteri Bottas after he went a tenth faster, also being knocked out by late improvements was Nico Hulkenberg who was comfortably ahead of Lance Stroll and Guanyu Zhou.
It was not only at the front where fine margins were at play, Hulkenberg had knocked out his Haas teammate Kevin Magnussen in Q1 after the German went over two-tenths faster. Along with other improvements the Dane eventually missed out on Q2 by under a tenth of a second.
Magnussen couldn’t find the pace of Hulkenberg. RB went into this weekend hoping to make progress, they haven’t, the raft of upgrades brought hasn’t seen them break into the leading group. Yuki Tsunoda was seventeenth going nearly a tenth faster than his RB teammate Daniel Ricciardo.
Williams propped up the field, Alex Albon ahead of Logan Sargeant by three and a half tenths.
Related
- SPANISH GP – Carlos Sainz fastest by three hundredths in third practice
- SPANISH GP – Lewis Hamilton fastest by two tenths in second practice ahead of Carlos Sainz
- SPANISH GP – Lando Norris fastest by a quarter of a second in first practice ahead of Max Verstappen
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